Flowers have always been a significant element and perfect accent in any wedding. From bouquets and installations to centrepieces and cakes… those cute blossoms are everywhere. Japanese flower artist, Mokoto Azuma, gave us major wedding inspo when he debuted his ‘Iced Flowers’ exhibition. Think OTT arrangements encased in pillars of translucent ice, aka the perfect centrepieces.

Azuma has used water and stratosphere as backdrops for his exotic flower arrangements before, however locking floral bouquets in large blocks of ice, is his attempt to challenge these natural elements in the most strikingly visual way.

For Dries Van Noten’s Spring runway last year, Azuma placed embellished bags and shoes in blocks of ice, and they were intertwined in extravagant foliage. Talk about cool.

We know what you’re thinking. Ice is impractical. The cold-hard fact (pun intended) is that the oh-so-shiny texture has one inherent flaw, it melts. Well, here we have 3 simple hacks to keep the nice factor at your wedding.

Cool Temperatures

This one is a given. While some ice sculptures may be displayed alfresco, indoors is the preference here. You want to avoid situations where there is direct heat or sun. Room temperatures at around 25 degrees is ideal.

Thicker Ice

Increasing the weight will extend the life-span of the floral ice sculpture. This is important to consider, especially if the sculpture will sit out for an extended period of time before guests arrive or the party starts. The average life-span is 6 hours and clear trays will hold any residue.

They’re Supposed To Be Temporary

The artisan nature of ice sculptures is that they melt away at the end of the night. The melting process is part of the fun. Watching the sculpting details disappear, and the flower petals ease as the ice softens is a fascinating artwork. The special sentiment behind an ice sculpture is that it will only be viewed once. Break the ice.

Written by Shaymah Alkhair